Candles
by obliviate-reality
Summary: For Kurt, it was an ordinary day at the bookstore.  For Blaine, it was about finding out how to reveal his biggest secret.  For both of them, it was a day that their lives changed.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He picked up his speed, wanting to hurry inside to escape January's cold winter chill. It hadn't begun to snow yet, but the dark, gray clouds were threatening to unleash the frozen flakes at any given moment. Finally reaching the door, he swung it open and dashed inside, exhaling as the heat from the vent above him warmed his freezing body. Taking a minute to catch his breath, he adjusted the strap of his messenger bag and looked around for the coffee bar. They had remodeled the bookstore just before Christmas, and had done a lot of intense advertising for their newly installed café, and he was eager to try it out.

His eyes finally landed on a large area in the back. There was a long counter with what he assumed to be all different types of coffees and creamers. Then, there was a huge counter with three eager-looking employees behind it, serving the many customers that had taken advantage of the new coffee bar. The coffee's aroma filled the air, and it added a brand new vibe to the bookstore's atmosphere. Kurt looked to his left and saw the extension the bookstore had built in order to house even more books, and smiled to himself. He had a feeling that he would be spending a lot of time here.

And the free Wi-Fi gave the bookstore a few more brownie points.

Strolling over the café, he set his bag down on the counter and fished around for a five=-dollar bill. He found it in his wallet, wedged between his friend Rachel's senior picture and his driver's license. He pulled it out and smiled sweetly at the barista, ordering a medium cup of peppermint mocha, hoping it would help him warm up a little bit.

Kurt sat down and set his messenger bag on the floor next to him, breathing in the sweet scent of peppermint and espresso. He took a small sip, testing the temperature, and was pleased to know that it tasted very good. He pulled his laptop out of his bag and opened it up, wanting to get started on a report for his English class. Crossing his legs, he took another sip of his drink as he waited for his computer to power on. Nothing was more relaxing than working on homework in a bookstore or library. His house was too distracting. His step-brother, Finn, was dating his best friend, Rachel, so she was constantly over at their house. Rachel and Finn, combined with his brand new flat screen TV and the Wii that he and Finn had received for Christmas, didn't allow for much studying to be done. He had gone to library the other day to work on his report, hoping the quiet and lack of distractions would motivate him to do his work. When it was a success, Kurt decided to get into the habit of stopping by there for an hour every few days on his way home from school to work on his homework. He had heard a commercial on TV this morning, though, advertising the renovations that had been made to the bookstore, so he decided to check it out. And it definitely beat the library.

Kurt logged onto his account and pulled up the essay that he had started a few days. He had types only a few sentences, when someone caught his eye. He hunched down in his seat, so that only his eyes were visible over the screen on his laptop. His eyes widened as he watched the boy hold open the door for an older lady, who was struggling with her bags and her walker. She thanked the boy as she left the store, who in return smiled and said "You're welcome!" He a deep, dreamy voice, and Kurt was immediately drawn in.

He hadn't had a boyfriend before. Most of the time, the boys he liked weren't interested in being with another man. And on the off chance that they were gay, they were already taken. And Kurt wasn't the kind to get in the middle of a preexisting relationship like that. Kurt's heart fluttered, and he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling permeate throughout his stomach. Who was this boy? And why had Kurt never seen him before? His eyes were finally drawn to the navy blue suit. Kurt would have recognized it anywhere. It was the signature uniform of Dalton Academy, an all-boys private school about twenty minutes away from his public high school, William McKinley High. He had recognized the name "Dalton" from show choir competitions. Their glee club was called "The Warblers", and they were very good. Kurt had only seen them perform one time, the first year he had ever been in show choir, and he was sure that this boy hadn't been in the club back then. Kurt would have remembered him.

Now, the boy was talking to one of the bookstore employees. She was a very pretty girl, probably not much older than the boy. She tossed her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and leaned in toward the boy, pointing a long, manicured finger towards an aisle in the newly added section of the store. Kurt was not immune to this obvious flirting on her part, and his heart instantly sank. Why had he gotten his hopes up like this? He swallowed and looked back at his computer screen, desperate to get the boy's face out of his head. But he couldn't help but watch the boy as he kindly thanked the girl and walked toward the section she had just directed him to. Kurt looked back at the girl, who seemed a bit disappointed. Maybe the boy wasn't interested. Kurt took a long gulp of his peppermint mocha, ignoring the burning it left on the back of his throat. He tried to focus. But the attractive boy- in uniform- at a _bookstore_, who had ignored the flirting of an extremely beautiful teenage girl made it impossible to. Finally, when he could take it no longer, Kurt downed the final swig of his drink and tossed it in the trash can, slamming his computer shut and shoving it back into his bag. He slipped the strap over his shoulder and adjusted the bag, before he set off to the same part of the store he had seen the boy walk over to.

Kurt wiped his sweaty palms on the side of his skinny jeans, nervously scanning each and every aisle, looking for that blue uniform.

"Do you have any others?"

"We do, but this section is still new, so we don't have all of the shipments in yet."

Kurt sidled up against one of the bookshelves and poked his head around the corner. Sure enough, the boy was holding a book and talking to another store employee.

"Do you know when the next shipment will be in?" God, his voice was so _hot_.

"Probably sometime early next week. Maybe Monday or Tuesday?"

"Okay. This will do for now." The boy held up the book and pointed to it. "Thank you so much for your help." The store employee smiled and nodded, before going back to arranging books on the shelves. Kurt kept his eyes trained on the boy, who was intently studying the contents of the small, think book he had found. Kurt caught a glimpse of the title. He couldn't read the entire thing, but he definitely saw the words "come out". His jaw dropped and he inhaled sharply, his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. His eyes blinked rapidly, and instantaneously, the boy was gone. Kurt's eyes widened and he darted into the aisle the boy had been in moments ago. A rush of fear swept through his brain, and he silently mumbled a prayer. The boy couldn't have just _disappeared_…where did he go?

And there he was. Sitting a table, in the corner, by himself. His head rested on one hand and the other held the book. Unfortunately, Kurt couldn't see the cover page, but he had been sure that the words "come out" had been on it.

Kurt rolled his shoulders back, knowing what he had to do. If he didn't say something to this boy now, he could be gone forever. And he went to another school. If he rejected Kurt or clearly wasn't interested, Kurt would be spared the embarrassment of having to walk past him in the hall tomorrow, or him telling all of his friends that Kurt had tried to hit on him. _Courage,_ Kurt thought to himself, as he stepped out of the aisle. He walked as if he were in a dream. His head was spinning. It was like an out-of-body experience. He casually walked around the boy's table, pretending to look at a book on the other side of the table. Nonchalantly looking over his shoulder, he saw the whole title of the book, which was plain and simply, _How to Come Out_. Kurt's heart sank. A sad smile worked its way onto his face. He knew what this meant. Fortunately, the boy was gay. But, unfortunately, he still hadn't come out. And that meant he was probably scared, confused, and alone. Before Kurt could think otherwise, he spun around and looked the boy straight in the eyes, before murmuring, "I think I can help you more than that book can."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I expect your reports to be at least fifteen pages." Mrs. Jackson's coal black heels clicked and clacked across the gray tiles as she scoped the room, looking for boys who had their phones out or had fallen asleep. It was her twentieth year teaching American history, so she had the right to be bored with her lessons. But these boys, who were in her class for one hour and only had to listen to the spiel once, rather than teaching it six times throughout the day, did not have that right. How hard was it for kids these days to sit up, put their electronics away, and pay attention for a mere sixty minutes?

Ignoring the round of whining and groans that ensued, she continued on. "I expect fully developed paragraphs. At least five sentences each. You all are seniors; you should know that by now. And address all parts of the prompt, or you will lose points. I want it double spaced, size twelve font, and don't make the font some fancy-shmancy artsy font. I need to be able to read them." She tapped her fingers' on one boy's desk, who immediately snapped his head up. "Put it away," Mrs. Jackson, growled, and the boy quickly returned his phone to his pocket, gulping. Mrs. Jackson may be on the older side, but all of the boys agreed that she still had the scare factor.

The boy heard a quiet outburst of giggling. Nonchalantly turning his head around, he saw his three best friends, Don, Jacob, and Rob desperately trying to stifle their snickers. The boy rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, turning back around.

The moment the bell rang, the boys jumped out of their seats, gathering their folders and notebooks. Mrs. Jackson desperately tried to shout the rest of the paper requirements above the loud chatter that was now spilling into the classroom from the hallway, but no one was listening.

"Dude!" Rob slapped the boy who had gotten in trouble's back, breaking out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "That's the third time this week! She would've given anyone else a detention by now!"

"For real, Blaine! You lucked out!" Don exclaimed. "Your woman giving you trouble again?"

"Ha, yeah," Blaine mumbled indifferently.

"Well you better work it out," Jacob chimed in, catching up with his friends. "Laura's hot, and she has hot friends. And I'm in need of a hot friend." Rob and Don high-fived Jacob and broke out into more laughter. Blaine joined in, but it was obvious that he was forcing it. Don and Jacob waved good bye as they walked down the hallway for their last class, and Blaine and Rob continued walking to their lockers. They both had a study hall for their seventh period class, and, as seniors, they were permitted to leave school early.

"Hey, Blaine?"

"What's up?" Blaine skillfully entered his combination and pulled his lock off, shoving his American history folder into the amalgamation of junk that had accumulated in his locker over the past semester.

"Are you and Laura seriously having problems? You've only been dating a few weeks. That's not good." Blaine spun to face his friend, who wore an expression of genuine concern. "Yeah, we kind of are."

"Is everything okay? Are you going to be able to work it out?"

"I don't know," Blaine answered honestly. "And to be truthful, I don't really think I care if we do or not."

"I get it, man," Rob responded. "I mean, Don kind of pressured you into asking her out, anyway. You were just getting over Melissa."

Blaine's heartbeat quickened. He hated when people brought up Melissa. Melissa, who was a girl from a different school that he had dated for over a year, had cheated on him. Their breakup had been extremely horrible, but Blaine had made sure to tell his friends every detail. In fact, his friends knew pretty much _everything_ about him and Melissa's relationship. The only thing they didn't know what that Melissa didn't exist. Melissa was Blaine's imaginary girlfriend, her sole purpose to show his friends that he had been with a woman before. He had hoped that Melissa would end his friends' constant teasing about how he was the last one in their group to lose his virginity, and she did. But they liked to bring her up every now and then for their own odd reasons, and it scared Blaine to death every time. What if he slipped up and told them a lie that formed a hole in his story? He had run out of excuses as to why he couldn't bring Melissa to football games, parties, and dances. He didn't have any more that he could use if need be.

But then he met Laura at a party. She was a great girl. Pretty, smart, funny, and kind. And she wasn't overly assertive like most girls he had met at parties were. She wasn't drinking and she didn't try to kiss him, or to seduce him in any way. They were just having a great conversation. But Don found out about their newly formed friendship, and pressured Blaine into asking her out. They- as in Laura- had just celebrated their six week anniversary, and with every touch, every hug, every kiss, Blaine was becoming more and more depressed. He needed to get away from Laura. She was a wonderful friend, but Blaine was not interested in dating her.

Or any girl, for that matter.

"Yeah, man. I think I just needed more time to get over Melissa."

"So are you gonna break up with her?"

"Yeah, I kind of have to. I'm not going to be one of those guys that lead girls on," Blaine answered honestly, shutting his locker, opting to do his homework before school tomorrow. Rob nodded in silent agreement. He placed his math textbook and an assortment of folders into his backpack and slung it over one shoulder. "I gotta get going, Blaine, but you let me know if you need any help or advice or anything with Laura, okay?" Blaine nodded and waved good bye to his friend. Rob walked a few steps before stopping abruptly and pivoting on his heel. "I almost forgot, man, we're all going over to Ryan's house. You wanna come?"

"You guys are going now?"

"Yeah."

Blaine paused, pursing his lips. Regretfully, he gave a small half smile and said, "Sorry man, but I can't. I have some stuff I need to do."

"All right." Rob waved again and walked toward the parking lot. "See you tomorrow," he hollered over his shoulder.

"Yeah, see ya." Blaine leaned up against the locker bay and pulled out his phone, going into his inbox and opening Laura's most recent message. He felt horrible about what he was doing to her, he really did. But he was too kindhearted to break her heart by breaking up with her, especially if she knew why he wasn't interested in a relationship with her.

"If I were straight, I would definitely date you."

That probably wouldn't be the best thing to say.

Blaine glanced at the harsh, black words staring him in the eye. _You've been avoiding me. I know you have, so don't bother lying. And I know it's another girl. Spare me the embarrassing situation of catching you and this whore hooking up or something and just break up with me now._ He wasn't cheating on her. And if he was, it wouldn't be with another girl. He was tired of lying to himself. He was sure of his sexuality. The only problem was, he had no idea how to tell his family or friends.

If only there was a handbook to tell you how to come out.

A handbook.

A book!

This epiphany lit up a light bulb in Blaine's brain. A smile broke across his face, and he decided to go to the new bookstore. Surely they had a self-help section. And surely a self-help section would have books about coming to terms with sexuality. Plus, they had that new café, so he could get some coffee and just sit down somewhere and read and try to figure this whole confusing combination of emotions out.

Luckily, the bookstore was within walking distance. His car had broken down, so he had been taking the bus, even though he hated it. He wasn't even in the cold for ten minutes when the blast of hot air from the ceiling vents hit him like a brick.

It was a good brick.

Unfortunately, the only employee visible was a pretty girl not much younger than him. He asked her, innocently, where the self-help section was. The way she leaned in to him, adjusted her shirt, and flipped her hair over her shoulders was extremely unnerving to him. Blaine just wanted to get away from any female before they literally made him go crazy.

He walked to the aisle purposefully, and immediately found what he was looking for. As luck would have it, there was one book left. Blaine had wanted to consult several different resources, but one was better than none. Another employee was stocking books behind him, so he asked this employee if there were any more books like this one, to which the employee replied no. Thanking the employee, Blaine found a nice table by the window. He sat down with his book, flipping through the pages, looking at its contents. He had just started the introduction when he heard footsteps near his table.

Looking up, he saw the most beautiful boy walking by. Something on the shelf behind Blaine's table had caught his attention. Blaine's stomach lurched. Who was this boy? His outfit was absolutely impeccable. Dark gray skinny jeans and…Blaine didn't know what else. He couldn't get past the jeans.

He saw the boy's perfectly slender hips turn toward him slightly, so he immediately dropped his gaze back to the book, pretending to read words that didn't make sense. His heartbeat was rapidly picking up speed, his breathing was getting heavier, and he was feeling lightheaded. Just when Blaine was about to get up and leave to catch his breath, he saw the boy's perfect hands slam down on the table in front of him, and he heard an incredibly sexy voice whisper, "I think I can help you more than that book can."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Can you?" The words escaped Darren's lips a little too quickly, and he hadn't even realized that he had answered the boy's question until the boy smiled and nodded, sitting down in the empty chair across from him.

"I'm Kurt." The boy extended his arm across the table, waiting for Blaine to return the gesture. Blaine smiled nervously, biting his lip. He closed the gap between them, shaking Kurt's hand, and replied, "Blaine Anderson."

"Nice to meet you, Blaine Anderson." Kurt smiled, propping his elbow up on the table, resting his head in his hand. Blaine sheepishly grinned in return, and Kurt racked his brain for something else to say. He was breathless, and more nervous than he had ever been before. However, he was more determined than ever before. He wasn't going to let one second of awkward silence pass between him and this dream that he had stumbled upon in a bookstore. "So, I see you're having some problems, eh?" he ventured, motioning toward the book. Blaine blushed, closing the book and setting it face down on the table. "Um, yeah. That's kind of a bit of an understatement though."

"Well, as the only openly gay kid in my entire high school, I think I can help you out."

Blaine blinked. This kid didn't beat around the bush. "What high school do you go to?"

"William McKinley. We don't have those fancy uniforms like you Dalton boys do."

"Well you know, everyone loves a man in uniform." It was extremely difficult for Blaine to resist the urge to just _stare_ at him. Kurt was the first boy that had ever been remotely close to hitting on him, and he did not want to move too fast and mess things up. Kurt snickered and looked down, averting his eyes from Blaine's for the first time they sat down. Blaine's palms began to sweat, worried that he _had_ made a move too quickly.

"Ain't that the truth." Kurt had a mischievous smile on his face, and it was definitely turning Blaine on. He had been fighting with his sexuality ever since he could remember, trying to fight it, trying to be _normal_. He had tried so hard that, a few years ago, he convinced himself that he was heterosexual, he was just confused. But the feelings that Kurt was rousing in Blaine made it impossible to deny his true sexuality any longer.

"So you can help me?" Blaine asked, pretending to ignore Kurt's comment, because he had no clue how to reply to it. Kurt smiled sweetly and nodded. How did he _do_ that? How did he look so…_provocative_ one minute, and so innocent the next? This mystery intrigued Blaine and left him wanting more.

"Are you really the openly gay kid at your school?" Kurt nodded, but didn't elaborate. Cautiously, Blaine pressed, "I know we just met and everything, but do you mind me asking how you did it? How you still do it?"

"How I do what?"

"How you do it. How you live. There are a few openly gay boys at Dalton, and no one seems to think anything about it. I'm not worried about my friends as much as I am my family. To be honest, I think one of my friends, Rob, is kind of starting to suspect it. I think I could tell him, and he could help me tell the rest of my friends. But he can't help me with my family. My family are your stereotypical conservative, Christian, Midwest family." Blaine couldn't believe how quick he was to tell this complete stranger so many personal things about himself and his family. Kurt was just so easy and comfortable to talk to.

"Well…" Kurt's voice trailed off for a moment while he thought. "My situation was similar, only opposite. My mom died when I was really young, I'm an only child, and my family all lives down south, like in Georgia and Florida. So really, the only family member I had to worry about was my dad. But I think he knew that I was different. I mean, I never was one to play with cars or build things when I was little. I liked having tea parties and playing dress up. My dad finally just asked me one day, and I said that yes, I was gay. He looked disappointed, but he never stopped loving me. He told me that I still mattered, and that I couldn't help my sexuality any more than I could help my eye color, or what color my skin was. It's out of my control." Blaine nodded, wanting Kurt to continue. "School was a different story. When everyone there found out, I was bullied constantly. Hell, I'm still bullied." He paused. "It's really hard sometimes. But I just have to remember that one day I'll be out of that school, living my dreams, and that one day, I'll be so successful that the little details about me, like my sexuality, won't even matter. I mean, they shouldn't matter now, but unfortunately, they do." Blaine nodded again, agreeing. "Sorry if I'm ranting, ha. It's just that I don't really have anyone else in my life that understands. Like I said, only openly gay kid in my school." He let out a small laugh, relaxing his shoulders. Blaine hadn't even realized that Kurt had been so tense. "I appreciate you sharing all of that with me," Blaine replied honestly. "I think it would be so much harder for your school to be unaccepting than your family to be unaccepting." Kurt nodded. "I don't know your family or anything, but in most cases, I think so, too. That's why I'm almost positive that I can help you."

"I'm sure you can," Blaine assured him, offering a genuine smile. Kurt returned the smile and then took a deep breath, his eyes piercing into Blaine's. "So, Blaine. Has your family ever brought up the topic of homosexuality before?"

"Yeah. I mean, the Andersons get into as many political debates as any other family," Blaine joked, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as his smile widened. Kurt laughed, and asked him what his family had to say about the topic

"Well…"

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much, Kurt. This has been really helpful. And a lot of fun." Kurt gathered up his things and shyly murmured a "you're welcome". He slung his bag over his shoulder and faced Blaine. "I'm glad I was able to help. I hope you know that you can always come and talk to me if you're having problems." Blaine nodded enthusiastically, his puppy dogs eyes glistening. "Yeah, I'd love that!"<p>

"Really?" Kurt immediately regretted his insecure remark.

"Really," Blaine repeated, his face breaking into a big smile. "In fact…." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny black phone, handing it to Kurt. "I'd love it if you could put your number in my phone, and we can meet up again sometime. If I'm really going to do this, I need all the support I can get."

Kurt's trembling hands wrapped around the phone, touching the screen and bringing it to life. "Nice background," he smirked, holding the phone up. "Are they friends of yours?"

"Yeah, that's Rob, Jacob, and Don. They're three of my best friends. Especially Rob. We've been friends since elementary school." Kurt smiled, but on the inside, his heart crumbled with jealously. He longed for a friendship on that level that had lasted that long. Most of the friends he had, he had only had since his sophomore year, when he joined Glee club. They were all wonderful people and even better friends, especially Rachel and Mercedes, who he was closest to, but he had always wanted that childhood best friend that everyone else seemed to have.

Kurt self-consciously typed his phone number into Blaine's phone, completely aware of the way Blaine's gaze had landed on his face. He could feel Blaine's eyes watching every movement his fingers made, every movement his chest made while he breathed. When he was finished, his eyes lingered on the background of Blaine's phone. He and the three other boys were all laughing and making funny faces. It was dark, and there were people in the background. Kurt presumed it was taken at a party, and that assumption only raised more questions. Was Blaine a big partier? Did he drink? Was he a good dancer? Before Blaine could become aware of Kurt's staring, he handed the phone back to Blaine. Blaine's face lit up and he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Thanks, Kurt!"

"You're welcome," Kurt replied, awkwardly adjusting the strap of his messenger bag. They both caught each other's eyes, and they both smiled. Kurt could feel his cheeks reddening, and Blaine's were turning pink as well.

"I should go," Kurt said abruptly. "We're having this big family dinner tonight because my stepmom was out of town for a business meeting, and she gets back in like an hour so we're having this big family dinner and I can't be late." He could feel himself rambling and repeating himself, but Blaine was making him ridiculously nervous. How did all of that confidence he had just an hour ago fly out the window so rapidly? It didn't make sense.

_ But love doesn't always make sense._

Kurt swallowed hard, his eyes bugging out. He did _not_ just say the "L" word. His cheeks reddened even more with embarrassment for even thinking it. He had just met Blaine; there was no way he could possibly be in love with him. Not yet, at least.

"Ha, okay." Blaine was smiling really big now. His perfect teeth and lips were enough to make Kurt's heart want to melt. "We'll see each other around, okay?"

"Yeah, definitely. I would love that, actually," Kurt answered, a tint of hopefulness in his response. Blaine nodded. "Have fun with your family."

"Thanks, Blaine. We'll be in touch." _Damn it, Kurt! Another awkward choice of words._

"Of course we will. I really enjoy talking to you, Kurt." Kurt's knees threatened to buckle as he heard his name escape from Blaine's lips. "I like talking to you, too," Kurt managed to stammer. Blaine wasn't leaving, he was just continuing to look at Kurt's face. _You have to say something and get out of here before you just grab him and kiss him,_ Kurt told himself. "Good, I'm glad. I'll see you later."

"See you. Hey, have fun with your family!" Blaine called as Kurt started to walk away.

Kurt paused, turning his head around and looked into Blaine's deep, chocolate brown eyes. "And good luck with yours."

"Thanks. I really appreciate that." Kurt offered a small wave before hurrying out of the bookstore. The moment he slammed his car door, he let out the breath he had been holding in for the past hour, finally able to relax. When he realized what had just happened, he squealed with delight and dug through his bag, frantically searching for his phone. He had to text Rachel and Mercedes and tell them what happened.

But before he could set up the message, he received a text from an unknown number, reading "I miss our talks already, what about you? :) "


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone!**

**Thank you so much for the positive reviews! It really means so much to me. Please continue to let me know how I'm doing. This is my first fanfic, and I would love to know what I can do to improve my writing. **

**Also, I realize that at the beginning of Chapter 3, I wrote "Darren" instead of "Blaine". I'm new to , so I couldn't figure out how to go back and change it, but please know that I am aware of the mistake. I guess I get the line between CrissColfer and Klaine blurred a little bit sometimes ;)**

**Anyway, keep on reading and I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"So, how was school today?" Kurt's father, Burt, asked in between spoonfuls of lasagna. He had labored in the kitchen for several hours, wanting everything to be perfect for his wife for when she and her son, Finn, returned home from the airport. Carole had gone on a trip to Colorado to attend some seminars on creating your own business. She and six of her friends she was still in touch with from college were aspiring to open a small line of makeup, perfumes, and lotions.

"It was okay, like usual," Finn replied, scooping a second helping of lasagna onto his plate. "And, like usual, I have a ton of homework."

"And, like usual, I assume you won't be doing it?" Carole asked her son, raising her eyebrows. The four of them laughed, especially Kurt, who had just taken a sip of water and nearly spit it out onto the table. One of his flaws was nervous laughter. It didn't matter how stupid or unfunny a joke was, if he was nervous, he wouldn't stop laughing. His dad knew him too well, and unfortunately picked up on this. "Everything okay, Kurt? Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah, school was okay," Kurt answered a little bit too quickly. Kurt looked down at his salad bowl and stabbed a piece of lettuce, doing everything in his power to avoid his father's omniscient glare. "What?" he asked defensively. Now, Finn and Carole were staring at him, too. Why couldn't everyone just let him be and replay this afternoon in his head over and over and over again, without any interruptions? He shoveled another forkful of salad into his mouth, quickly chewing. The faster dinner was over, the faster he could get back to texting Blaine, who he had been holding a conversation with ever since he had left the bookstore.

"Nothing," Burt responded, taking a long sip of wine. "It's just that you're acting kind of funny. Jittery, anxious."

"I'm not nervous." Cue nervous laughter. _Shit. Shit! _Kurt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "I'm not nervous at all," he repeated. "I'm just on a caffeine high. I went to the bookstore after school to do some studying, and well, you know they have that new café and I guess I drank a little too much coffee!"

"Damn, Kurt. Are you sure it was coffee?" Finn asked.

Kurt cast his stepbrother a long glare, knowing that his "angry face" wasn't exactly intimidating, but he wasn't really in the mood to be made fun of.

"Finn, don't use that language, especially at the dinner table," mumbled Carole, pouring herself a glass of wine and refilling her husband's.

"Sorry." Finn didn't look very sorry as he continued shoveling more pasta into his mouth, continuing to eye Kurt. Finn definitely knew something was up, and would stop at nothing to find out.

"Can I be excused?" Kurt blurted out, dropping his fork, cringing at the clattering noise it made as it struck his plate, which was still full of food. When the nerves set it, Kurt didn't eat. He physically _couldn't_ eat.

"Do you feel okay?" Carole asked, genuinely concerned.

"No, not really." It was the first honest thing Kurt had said all night. He stood up, and carried his plate over to the sink. "I'm just tired." His truthful streak was over. "I'm gonna go to bed early tonight. Good night." He scampered up the stairs, and it wasn't long before he heard a loud pair of footsteps behind him. Kurt quickened his pace and finally reached his bedroom, his safety net. Slamming the door, hoping it would emit a sense of finality, he scrambled to get his phone out the pocket of his tight jeans. One unread message. His heart fluttered as his fingers skillfully opened the message and his eyes scanned the small, black words. Smiling to himself, he flopped onto his bed and typed out a reply. That's when he heard the knock on the door.

"Uhhhh, come in," Kurt said reluctantly, praying it wasn't Finn.

The door swung open. "Can we talk, Kurt?"

"I mean, there's nothing really to talk about, but sure, we can talk, Dad."

"Are you being bullied again?"

Kurt was taken aback. His father was usually pretty sensitive about his past and would never bring it up out of the blue like that. "No, no, no, that's not it at all," Kurt insisted. "It's actually quite the opposite."

"What do you mean?" Burt asked, sitting down in the chair at Kurt's desk. He looked at the piles and piles of sheet music that had been strewn carelessly over the small table. He thumbed through them, stopping at one piece and commenting, "Rihanna?"

"Yes, Dad. Contrary to popular belief, show choirs don't always just do musicals and Broadway numbers. We like top 40 hits as much as anyone else," Kurt said, semi-annoyed.

"I know, it's just funny to me. I don't know, when I think 'glee club', I just think of people dancing around like they're on Broadway, not like they're in a pop star's music video."

Kurt managed to laugh, rolling his eyes. "You're so old fashioned."

Burt laughed, setting the music back on the desk. "Anyway, Kurt, can you tell me what's going on? Why are you so upset if nothing's wrong?"

"I'm not upset, I promise," Kurt assured him, tossing his phone up and down, wanting his dad to leave so he could get back to his conversation with Blaine.

"Well, I just want to be sure. You were acting very funny at dinner." Burt eyed Kurt's cell phone. "Can you put your phone down and talk to me, please?"

Kurt reluctantly set his phone on his nightstand, facing his father, but he kept glancing over at it, praying that the screen would light up with a text message.

"It's a boy, isn't it?" Kurt's eyes widened and he jumped. "What?"

"It's a boy, isn't it?" Burt's dad repeated patiently. "You're all fidgety, you can't stop looking at your phone…" His voice quietly trailed off as he waited for an answer.

"How did you know?" Kurt finally exclaimed, sincerely surprised.

"I'm your father, Kurt. Sometimes, I just _know_ things, whether you believe that or not." Burt broke into a lopsided smile and walked over to his son, sitting down next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You know you can talk to me about this kind of stuff. As awkward as it may be, I'm always willing to listen."

Kurt nodded, looking down at his shoes, crossing and uncrossing his legs uncomfortably. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, the little "new message" icon blinking on the screen of his screen. He figured that in order for his dad to go away so he could get back to texting, he was going to have to offer up at least a few details. "I met him at the book store," Kurt recalled breathlessly. "He's really cute. And he's actually _gay_."

"Well, that's a good start," Burt said, laughing. "Tell me more."

"He's a closet gay. I saw him in the self-help section, looking for books about coming out. And I told him that I would be more helpful than a book would be."

Burt was completely silent, his mouth open, staring at his son. Kurt blinked rapidly. "Say something," he murmured, growing nervous for no specific reason. Suddenly, Burt exploded into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, bending over and holding his stomach. "Jesus Christ, Kurt, please tell me you didn't really say that!"

"But I did!" Kurt wailed, a feeling of embarrassment growing. He could feel it in his cheeks. He shrugged off his jacket; it was suddenly getting really hot in his room. "What's wrong with that?" That comment only made his dad laugh harder. "Dad, stop!" Kurt insisted, growing more and more insecure.

"I'm sorry, Kurt, I really am," Burt chuckled, desperately trying to regain his composure. When he finally got himself under control, he uttered, "It's just so damn cheesy!" And then he broke out into another agonizing round of laughter. Rolling his eyes, Kurt jumped up from the bed and yanked on his dad's arm, pulling him towards the doorway. "Well, if you're going to continue to laugh at me, can you do it in the hallway? I have a cute boy to text."

"All right, all right," Burt said, still giggling like a schoolgirl. "Can I tell Carole and Finn?"

"Absolutely not!" Kurt exclaimed, appalled. "You can't tell anyone, especially not Carole or Finn!"

"Okay, okay, I won't!" Burt promised, shutting the door behind him. Kurt could hear his father's laughter all the way down the hall.

Kurt knew that his dad was joking, but he was starting to think that his "pick up line" was a little bit desperate. And a lot humiliating. But Blaine seemed to be impressed, or, more realistically, at least not think too much about it. He turned his attention back to his cell phone.

His heart was literally melting. Blaine was one of those people that used a smiley face in almost every message. Normally, that sort of thing both annoyed and distracted Kurt, but when an attractive boy was doing it, it was a major turn on. Kurt hoped that he didn't text everyone like that.

They had been playing the question game. They now knew each other's favorite color, animal, movie, actor, TV show, song, band, music genre, restaurant, food, and any other insignificant question people always want to know about each other. Figuring this text was just another question similar to the rest, he wasn't a complete wreck as he waited for the message to open. But this text was different. Kurt had to read it five, six, seven times to make sure that he was reading it correctly, He let the words sink in, absorbing the implications that it may bring. "Would you want to go out to dinner Friday night?" Typing back an enthusiastic "yes", Kurt felt an overwhelming sensation creeping into his stomach. It wasn't exactly butterflies, but it wasn't a complete sense of tranquility, either. It was kind of like a mixture of both. He was excited, but uneasy.

There was just that lingering question of "what if this is all a joke"? But, surely, Blaine wouldn't have asked Kurt out if he truly didn't want to? Blaine didn't seem like that kind of guy. But Kurt had been played so often in the past; it was hard not to be cynical.

However, as apprehensive as he felt, the feeling of pure anticipation and optimism pervaded throughout him, canceling out his insecurities.


End file.
